


Tsuki no Oka

by octopizzy



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, NO Kaguya arc, Non-Explicit Sex, Obito joins the great uchiha walk for redemption, Uchiha Obito Lives, Unresolved Emotional Tension, jumps between present/past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-08-13 09:46:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20172208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octopizzy/pseuds/octopizzy
Summary: After the war, Obito decides to join Sasuke on his journey for redemption.





	1. Kakashi

**Author's Note:**

> s/o to my very first betas

“When I was a child, my father used to tell me a story about the sun and the moon,” Kakashi spoke somberly, staring up into the night sky. It was quiet, save for the soft crackling of the campfire and the song of the crickets. 

“Don’t they all?” his companion snorted, “Something about the rabbit in the moon or whatever, right?” Kakashi ignored him, narrowing his eye in annoyance. Bear was lucky he made a good dinner that night, otherwise Kakashi wouldn’t have been in a pleasant enough mood to share something so personal with an ANBU subordinate. 

“_He said_ that the sun was always chasing the moon, but could never catch up. That’s why they rose and fell in cycles.”

“What about solar eclipses then-ouch!” Kakashi thumped Bear on his upper arm.

“My father explained that the sun was in love with the moon, but the moon, in all her divine splendor, had deemed herself too good for the lowly sun, and so the chase ensued.”

Kakashi could remember so clearly in his mind the look on his father’s face as he told the story, always smiling wistfully as if he was telling a tale of his own past. 

“Well then how do you explain the moon waxing and waning? Or solar eclipses? Why would the moon allow herself to be caught if she did not love him?” the younger Hatake would ask one night while tucked away in his bed, his father kneeling by his side, the lantern light in the room flickering across his sentimental grin. Sakumo just laughed and ruffled his son’s hair. 

“You see, Kakashi, the moon did love him back.” His father’s hand came to rest over his heart, “But sometimes, it is painful to admit to ourselves that we love someone. Some of us would rather try and protect our hearts rather than risk the pain.

“The moon runs away from her feelings, but even the most guarded heart cannot hide itself forever. So she must give into the temptation to glance back at her love every cycle, until she gives in and disappears at night to be with him. And when we look up and see them pass each other once in a while, we are witnesses to that rare moment when they openly share their love with the world.”

“She sounds stupid,” the toddler frowns, “Why make herself sad?”

“Sometimes love is stupid and sad,” Sakumo smiled, “But it’s worth it in the end, even love as rare as an eclipse.”

“Poetic,” Bear mused, “Pretty sure all the love counseling I got was my mother telling me to not marry young and my father handing me condoms. Separate occasions, of course.”

Kakashi stayed quiet for a moment, staring up at the crescent moon rising above the tops of the trees. He closed his eyes, picturing his father’s face in his mind, his sentimental eyes and the soft smile on his lips. For all the advice The White Fang gave him, this was the only one not related to killing another human. Or was it?

“I thought it very romantic as a child,” Kakashi sat up, intending to feed the fire before continuing their watch. He glanced at the rest of the black ops members lying in their sleeping bags, fast asleep, yet he knew that they would all be awake and poised to attack or defend if they heard even the crack of a twig on the outskirts of camp. The fire hissed and crackled as he added another log, the embers twirling up into the night sky. 

“And now?” Bear asked as Kakashi returned to his side. Kakashi hugged his knees against his chest, resting his chin on them and staring out into the dark forest, his single grey eye blinking away the haze of the campfire smoke. 

“The moon should never have looked back.”

. . .

It was almost as if nothing had changed. For so long Kakashi had held a perfect image of Obito in his mind: pure, untainted by the tragedies that followed the mission at Kannabi bridge, a vision of innocence. His hero. And now, despite everything that had happened, sitting across from him in the interrogation room he almost feels thirteen again. Obito is looking at him like he couldn’t understand a single choice Kakashi has made in his lifetime and he refuses to start trying now. It’s a look Kakashi has given himself in the mirror many times. 

“Why?” is all he asks. Kakashi can feel the other eyes in the room on him as the same question is on the tip of their lips. He folds his hands together in his lap and looks Obito directly in the eyes. 

“Same reason why I just pardoned the other Uchiha,” Kakashi speaks calmly, despite the rapid beating of his heart, “Leaving you to rot in some cell isn’t going to do this world any good. Neither is killing you.”

“So Kakashi, what exactly are you proposing?”

“Yes Hokage-sama, what _are_ you proposing?” an annoyed voice chimes in from behind him, which he ignores. 

“I believe that you can do more to help heal this world alive and free.” Kakashi clears his throat. “Therefore I, Hatake Kakashi, the sixth hokage of Konohagakure, pardon you, Uchiha Obito. Your life is yours, do with it as you wish.”

“Hokage-sama-”

“I have believed in this man’s capability to do good for most of my life,” Kakashi stands up from his chair, watching the others shuffle away from him, bowing their heads, “Even in his darkest moments, he had that within him. And we all know how that turned out; all he needed was the freedom to choose. He was instrumental in saving this world, and I believe he can do more.”

“But where is he supposed to go? I don’t think any citizens of Konoha will take kindly to housing a former enemy of the state.”

“He will stay with me, of course.” Kakashi watches as Obito’s eyes find his own, his eyebrows furrowing. “If he will be considered a burden, he will be my burden to bear. Anyone that has a problem with that can speak to me directly. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a very busy schedule.”

Kakashi ignores the protesting voices as he leaves the interrogation room. If they were going to force him into the Hokage’s seat, they were going to have to accept his decisions. 

. . .

Kakashi thought it strange how quickly things can become habitual, comforting. For an ex missing nin turned war criminal, Obito is adjusting quite well to the domestic life, he thinks to himself, as he watches his former teammate sit across from him at the table, picking at the steamed fish in front of him. Obito looks up from his task at Kakashi, his brow furrowed.

“You’re staring. Did I do something wrong?” Obito asks.

“No, no, I was just lost in thought is all,” Kakashi hums and returns to his dinner, but Obito is still looking at him like he expects more. “It’s just, it’s nice to be able to share a meal with you, is all.” Obito raises an eyebrow before continuing to pick apart the fish on his plate. 

“Didn’t expect you to be so sentimental, Hatake,” he says as he pulls out a piece of white flesh, popping it in his mouth.

“I blame aging,” Kakashi sighs, “But don’t expect me to start compiling a scrapbook or anything.” That causes the corners of Obito’s mouth to curl up slightly, giving Kakashi a warm feeling in his chest, the feeling he mistook for anger as a child. He’d heard his dad tell him how other boys will pick on girls because they liked them, but it wasn’t until much later on he put two and two together regarding his own behaviour. He wonders if his dad knew, even just that he didn’t like girls, or if he wrote it off as his age. 

They continue to eat in silence for the rest of their meal, before Kakashi clears away their plates and returns with cups and a teapot. Obito drums his fingers on the table as Kakashi sets a cup in front of him, pouring him tea. 

“I talked to Sasuke today.” Obito breaks the silence finally. “I ran into him and Minato’s kid on my way back from assisting the builders. It’s been my first time speaking with him proper as ‘myself.’”

“Ah,” Kakashi replies, filling his own cup and placing the pot back on the tray, “And how was that?”

“It was...awkward.” Obito frowns. “Uncomfortable. But I get a sense most conversations with him are that way, even without our unspoken history.”

“I think that’s an Uchiha trait.” Kakashi tugs down his mask slightly to sip at his tea. Obito lets out a short, rough laugh. Kakashi notes to himself to make that happen again.

“You’re one to talk,” Obito retorts. He pauses for a moment, his smile fading. “He spoke to me about his ‘big plan.’”

“Oh yes, the great journey for redemption. Your thoughts?”

“I think it’s very wise, especially for someone his age,” Obito swirls the tea in his cup around. Kakashi can sense something is wrong, but he knows that the tension between them has been thick ever since their reunion.

“Despite his history, I believe Sasuke has grown out of holding grudges.” Kakashi leans back. “I’m sure your next encounter will be better.”

“Well, we’ll have plenty of time to spend with each other.” Obito sips his tea, his gaze still affixed downwards. “I am going to join him, after all.”

Kakashi feels his stomach drop and his body freezes up. He sits there for a moment, unsure of what to say. Summoning up all the courage left in him, he forces himself to relax and soften his expression. 

“Join him?”

“Yes, I plan on leaving with him tomorrow.” Obito’s eyes meet Kakashi’s now, the intensity of his gaze almost startling to the other man. 

“I think that is a very good idea,” Kakashi speaks calmly, “It makes sense that you two should work together.” Obito chuckles darkly to himself before starting to rise from the table. He looks down at Kakashi, the warm light casting shadows under his scars, creating an even greater sense of separation between the two halves of his face. 

“You really haven’t changed, _Bakakashi_.” The reappearance of his childhood nickname makes Kakashi bristle in discomfort. Obito pulls his gaze away from him and disappears into the darkened room next door. For a moment, there is no other sound than the crickets chirping outside the windows, before Kakashi lets out a breath he doesn’t know he was holding. _Smooth one, Hatake,_ he thinks to himself before beginning to clean up. __

_ _  
_ _

. . .

As he walks to the front gate, Kakashi notices the rest of his team are already there, waiting to say their goodbyes to the Uchihas. As usual, he is late. Naruto notices him first, waving him over. The general mood as he approaches is somber; Kakashi realizes the last time they had all gathered at the gate was nearly 5 years ago now. 

“Kakashi-sensei, you’re late.” Sakura half heartedly scolds him, her brow furrowing in mock disappointment. Kakashi swears every time he sees his students they look older than the last. Sakura has seemed to develop a more mature figure, her muscles now filling out visibly, especially around her arms. Naruto has cut his iconic shaggy hair short now as it spikes up around his head, his new right arm still wrapped in bandages. His appearance now matched a certain Uchiha as well as his personality. Meanwhile, Sasuke had grown into the Uchiha features quite handsomely, his dark hair hiding his rinnegan from the world much like his black cloak hid his empty sleeve. 

“Ma, at least I’m not the last to arrive.” Kakashi smiles at his students, trying to lighten the mood.

“If he’s not here within the next five minutes, I will leave without him.” Sasuke speaks in his usual tone, sounding eternally irritated. As if on cue, the air around them starts to shift, a section of the landscape before them appearing to swirl, before Obito’s form solidifies in front of them. 

“Let me guess, you were helping an old lady across the street.” Kakashi crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow at his companion, but Obito’s expression stays stagnant. 

“I am ready to leave, Sasuke.” He says, ignoring Kakashi’s comment. If his students can sense the tension in the air between them, they don’t speak up. “I trust you all have said your goodbyes?”

“Yes.” Sasuke nods, throwing his pack over his shoulder. “Let us be off.”

Sakura runs forward to embrace Sasuke as Naruto pats him on the shoulder. He looks as if he doesn’t know what to do in the face of this much affection, and freezes up. Kakashi turns to Obito, who is already looking at him. 

“Obito.”

“Kakashi.” Obito nods in acknowledgement before turning to Naruto and Sakura, repeating the gesture. As the two Uchihas begin to walk away, Naruto calls after them to keep in touch, to which Sasuke replies with a gesture to the hawk flying above his head. Obito looks back once as Kakashi stares after him, meeting his gaze. 

. . .

“I won’t be returning for some time.” Obito darkens Kakashi’s bedroom doorway. An hour or so has passed since dinner, each of the men retreating to their rooms in complete silence. Kakashi looks up from the book he is reading on his bed and closes it, sitting up. “I won’t be able to continue in my aid with reconstruction, therefore I wanted to ask if you could pass the task on to Yamato for me.” _Poor Tenzo,_ Kakashi thinks.

“What a life to lead as the only Mokuton users in our world.” Kakashi smiles at Obito. “The most powerful and rare of jutsus being used to repair the local ramen joint. Seems fitting, somehow.”

“Will you ask him on my behalf?” Obito’s face stays emotionless, much to Kakashi’s discomfort. “I don’t want your _elders_ to think I am simply abandoning the project.”

“If we’re being realistic, I think they’ll just be happy with you leaving town.” Kakashi leans back on his bed, kicking his feet up. Obito’s mouth twitches slightly, as if he wants to laugh or smile, and Kakashi feels relieved until he opens his mouth. 

“Will you?”

The question hangs in the air for a moment before Kakashi can bring himself to respond. 

“Obito, what do you mean?” He can feel his stomach churning, he knows exactly what he meant, but cannot bring himself to admit it. “Am I happy with you leaving town? Of course I am. If it’s what you feel you need to do, then I am all for it. I will miss your company at the dinner table, though.”

Obito laughs darkly, his face twisted sickly as if he has heard the most outrageous statement. Kakashi thinks of his earlier raspy chuckle and how much light it brought into the room. 

“Goodnight Kakashi.” He turns around to leave, and Kakashi feels his body pulled up towards him before his mind tells him to leave it alone. 

“Obito…” Kakashi sees the slight change in his posture as he stops mid-step. He knows he needs to say something but it is as if his lips refuse to speak. He has so many things to say, but when they have gone unspoken for this long, it becomes hard to even muster the breath necessary to let them out. Obito seems to wait for him to continue before the rigidity in his shoulders returns. 

“You really haven’t changed at all.” He repeats his earlier statement, stirring Kakashi enough to make him snap back. He’s had enough of Obito’s cryptic statements and uneasy looks.

“What is that supposed to mean, Obito?”

“You know what it means, Kakashi.You’re still the same little robot from when we were kids.” Obito nearly spits at him, his words so laced with vinegar. “So concerned with protocol and what everyone else said you should do or say or feel that you never even considered how you really felt, or how anyone else felt. Aren’t you tired? Will you just continue to let others control you and your emotions?”

“The only one in charge of my emotions is me.” As he says it, Kakashi realizes he is less sure of that statement by each second. Even as kids, Obito always had a way to undermine Kakashi’s confidence. 

“Then stop lying to me.” Kakashi shifts in place in front of the doorway, clenching his fists. 

“What do you want me to say? That for the last 18 years you’ve been dead and it has never stopped hurting?” His eyes bore into Obito’s, the fire now lit behind them. “And now, the thought of knowing that you are alive but not being with you, that it’s too much to bear?”

Obito turned around, stepping until he stood before Kakashi. They hadn’t been this close since they fought in the Kamui dimension, their weapons impaling each other through their abdomens, hatred and love and despair in their eyes, twin sharingans spinning. Now, Kakashi felt more afraid than ever. 

“All I've ever wanted was for you to acknowledge your emotions.” Kakashi could feel Obito’s breath on his face. “For you to acknowledge me.”

. . .

“I bet you he’ll forget to check in after the first time.” Naruto sighs, an arm slung around Sakura’s shoulders. She shrugs him off and frowns at him.

“Everything will be okay, Naruto, no need to worry.” Kakashi says as the trio watch the last of the Uchihas disappear into the darkness of the forest.

“It’s better this way.”


	2. Sasuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Obito begin their journey, life moves on without them in Konoha, the pair consider their differences, and two moons have a late night chat

When they kissed for the first time, Sasuke swore he could feel the sparks between their lips. Forget long awaited battles. That was true catharsis to him. Every kiss after only built upon that feeling, as a month of pure bliss passed them by. This kiss was no different; Naruto was warm and soft and he tasted like _home_, something Sasuke thought he no longer had. He could have stayed in the moment forever, but Naruto pulled away first, his cheeks flushed and his pupils dilated. 

“I love you, Sasuke.” And the dream was shattered. His eyes were so bright with hope as he waited for a response.

“Thank you.” Sasuke spoke quietly, his cheeks turning bright red as he realized what he had said. Sensing the immediate shift in atmosphere, Naruto began to squirm nervously.

“Y-you don’t have to say it back, y’know? I just...I just wanted you to know.” Sasuke knew it was a lie; validation and acknowledgement of his feelings was the most important thing to Naruto, anyone close to him could tell you that. Growing up, he didn’t have a father to say “that’s my boy,” or a mother to praise him, unlike Sasuke. 

“Naruto.” Sasuke put his remaining hand over the other’s. He wanted to tell him he loved him, more than anything, wanted to explain that he just couldn’t say those words, that it hurt too much to recall the last person who said them. But instead, all he could say was, “I know.”

The light in Naruto’s eyes dimmed, and suddenly it felt cold between them. He squeezed Sasuke’s hand and gave a weak smile; it would have broken his heart, if there was anything left to break. 

After that, things changed between them. The tender moments were shorter and rarer, as they each found it harder to approach the other with so much left hanging in the air, until with one final conversation, they stopped entirely. 

Their last kiss tasted as empty as their words to each other. 

. . .

The fight is over before it had even really started. The fate of the common thugs was sealed the moment they refused to lay down their arms in front of the two Uchihas, underestimating their enemy. They help the traveling merchant get back on his way, accepting some of his wares as way of thanks, at his insistence. Much to the men’s surprise and delight, the small packages they unwrap contain small, compact bento boxes. 

With their dinner secured, they make camp nearby in the woods before climbing up a hill overlooking the nearby town to enjoy their spoils. Sasuke picks at his food whilst Obito scarfs his down like he hasn’t eaten in days. 

“I’m curious about something, kid.” Obito speaks with his mouth full, much to Sasuke’s dismay. Kernels of rice spray forward with every word. “What’s the deal with you and Uzumaki?”

“What do you mean?” Sasuke narrows his eyes at his relative, setting the chopsticks to the side, losing his appetite. 

“You know what I mean,” Obito continues, “You’ve got a _thing_ going on between you two. I’m not an idiot.”

“I think Kakashi as well as most of Konoha would disagree.” Sasuke scowls. “Why are you so interested in my personal life?” The elder Uchiha points with his chopsticks at Sasuke’s uneaten meal, as if to ask _you going to finish that?_ He sighs and hands the box over, waiting for a response from Obito, but he just shovels more food in his mouth for another minute before finally swallowing properly and setting the two empty boxes aside. 

“Well, we are the last of our family.” Obito wipes his mouth on his sleeve and puts on his more serious façade that Sasuke is used to. “Maybe I’d just like to get to know you more.” 

“And who’s responsible for that?” Sasuke clenches his fist and averts his eyes, unable to gaze sharingan to sharingan. 

“Fair enough.” Obito leans back into the grass, his arms crossed behind his head. “When I was a child, the rest of the clan made a black sheep of me. I was never good enough, never strong enough or smart enough; a disappointment to the Uchiha name. I thought for a while that Kakashi and I had our souls swapped at birth and he was meant to be an Uchiha, not me.

“The day I finally activated my sharingan, I thought, if only for a moment, now the clan will recognize my power. Now my _family_ will acknowledge me. Funny how things worked out. When I gave Kakashi my eye, I couldn’t help but think he’d do a better job of using it than I would. And I was right, in a way.” Sasuke relaxes slightly and lies down next to Obito, watching the sky change color with the setting sun.

Sasuke senses the hawk nearby and looks for the silhouette against the orange sky. He whistles to Obito, sitting up, and holds out his arm as the bird lands gently on him, a small scroll attached to one of its legs. Unraveling the note and reading it, Sasuke frowns, before tucking the paper into his pocket and sending the hawk away. 

“Important missive?” Obito watches the shadow in the sky circle twice before disappearing, turning to his companion. “News from Konoha?”

“It’s nothing, just a personal announcement.” Sasuke averts his eyes, his face stern and unflinching. “Don’t know why they bothered to send it our way.”

“Let me see.” Sasuke shrugs and passes over the scroll. Obito glances over it before rolling it back up and placing it in his robes. 

“You planning on attending?” He asks, watching Sasuke’s face carefully, but the younger man’s face is hard to read, sharingan or no. 

“Why would I?” Sasuke frowns. “There’s no point in abandoning our mission for one night back in Konoha.”

“He’s getting married, it’s important.”

“I don’t care.”

“I know you do.”

“What if it was Kakashi getting married?” Sasuke turns to Obito, a pained expression on his face. Obito tenses for a moment as the two stare at each other, before averting his eyes and leaning back on the cool grass. 

“Send him a gift, at least.”

. . . 

When Obito suggests using Hashirama’s cells to provide prosthetics like his own, Tsunade nearly throws him out of the village. After being calmed down however, she agrees it is probably the best option the boys have. Naruto consents immediately and is taken into surgery the same day. Sasuke waits in the joint hospital room, his only living relative perched in the window like a crow, watching his surroundings with little interest. 

“Does it hurt?” Sasuke doesn’t make eye contact, instead choosing to continue to stare at the ceiling. Obito bristles at the question, shifting in his position and facing the hospital bed. 

“Will saying no change your mind?” He regards Sasuke with an almost indifferent expression. “No, I think not. You’re just that kind of man.”

“You don’t know me.” Sasuke clenches his teeth. 

“Maybe not, but I know your type.” Obito turns back around, taking in the courtyard below with a pensive stare. He watches as the injured shinobi are escorted through the garden by nurses, their faces blank. “When Kakashi lost his eye, I was more concerned than he was. He just bound it using a medkit and continued on his mission while I cried my eyes out.

“People like myself, like Naruto, we feel everything intensely, and we show it. We wear it on our faces, our bodies, we show it in our actions and words. But people like you and Kakashi...You burn quietly and steadily, like a candle. One day the wick is going to run out.”

“Tch, don’t try to get all fancy with your metaphors.” Sasuke hisses. “And don’t talk as if you and Naruto are anything alike.”

Obito shrugs, watching a recovering soldier in a wheelchair refuse assistance from an orderly as he struggles to wheel himself along. 

“You’re right.” He glances back at Sasuke. “I’m not like Naruto at all. If he had come across the same hardships as myself, I’ve no doubt he would have persevered.”

“He has overcome worse than you.” Sasuke says. “And so have I. It’s not hard with our lifestyle.”

“No one should have to go through that, especially at your age.” Obito scowls, the leather of his glove wrinkling as he clenches his fist. “I hope Naruto changes things, I really do, but being back in Konoha and seeing the faces of the people who sent children to war still proudly carved into the mountainside…” He relaxes his hand and sighs. For a moment, the only sounds in the room are their breaths and the hum of the fluorescent lights. 

“To answer your question, it does hurt. It is a constant ache to remind you that you are still living, somehow, wether you want to or not.” The world around Obito starts to shift, and he looks at his young cousin. “I imagine the missing limb will be a reminder too, of why you’re here. It’s your choice.” 

Sasuke watches as he disappears into thin air and clutches his shoulder, feeling where his arm should be. When the nurses check on him again, he tells them he’s decided against the surgery after all. 

. . . 

He doesn’t know what he’s doing here, standing in front of his former teacher’s door in the middle of the night, but he reaches up to knock anyway. The door opens, and he finds himself face to face with a maskless Kakashi. 

“Sasuke.” He doesn’t sound surprised, just tired. Sasuke realizes he’s never actually seen Kakashi’s face before this moment. It’s...pretty, to say the least. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, maybe some gnarly facial scars or unfortunate genetics but no, there’s high cheekbones, a long, aristocratic nose, a soft pout and a _beauty mark_.

“Naruto thought buck teeth, but personally I was hoping for fish lips.” Kakashi puts his hand up to his face in realization and sighs. 

“Come in.” He disappears behind the door, leaving it open. It’s raining outside, and although Sasuke didn’t intend on going inside when he came here, it does look inviting. He steps over the mantle and shuts the door behind him, removing his shoes and hanging up his wet coat, noticing the two pairs of house slippers on the floor. To be honest, he’d almost forgot Obito actually lived with Kakashi and that he was a human being who needed shelter. It can be hard after witnessing someone become as powerful as a god and absorb all the tailed beasts. 

“Tea?” Kakashi’s voice calls from around the corner, where he stands in the kitchen, putting the kettle on. 

“Mmm.” Sasuke replies, looking around at the small apartment. It’s just one, cramped room, with the kitchen off to one side, and two doors on either wall. He assumes one of those is Obito’s room. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He hears Kakashi call back but he’s too focused on the two picture frames propped up on the small bookshelf. Walking over to stand in front of them, he picks one up to examine it; it’s a picture of Kakashi when he was a child, along with the fourth Hokage, a very different looking Obito, and a smiling girl in between them flashing the camera two peace signs. Holding it up next to the other, the picture of his own team, they almost look identical. 

“Come sit down.” Kakashi’s voice brings him out of his nostalgia haze, and he turns to see his former teacher setting down a tray with a teapot on the kotatsu in the center of the room. 

“Doesn’t the Hokage get a bigger apartment than this?” He asks as he kneels down at the table, tucking his legs under the warmed blanket. 

“Hmm? This is a bigger apartment.” Kakashi pours the tea and waits for a moment as Sasuke drinks, then rests his hands on the table and leans in as if to initiate conversation. 

“So, Sasuke, what brings you to my humble abode at 1AM?” He doesn’t sound accusatory, but genuinely curious. Sasuke takes another sip of his tea before answering. 

“Things...ended with Naruto, and I don’t have anyone else to go to.” He looks at the liquid in his cup and sees his reflection, wondering when he developed those dark circles around his eyes. 

“What about Sakura?” Kakashi rests his head in one hand, the other holding his cup. 

“I didn’t want to bring her into this.” Sasuke looks up, meeting his eyes. “And despite everything, I trust your advice.” 

“I’m flattered.” Kakashi sounds sarcastic but there’s a soft smile on the corner of his lips. Sasuke thinks of his mask and how easy it must be for him to hide his emotions with it on. “So...tell me what happened.” Sasuke runs a hand through his hair and pauses, taking a deep breath. 

“He told me that he loved me and I couldn’t say it back.” 

“Ah.” Kakashi nods gently and sits up, refilling the other’s cup and then his own. 

“It’s...not that I don’t it’s just that I can’t say it.” Sasuke’s fist clenches on the table, drawing Kakashi’s gaze. “Not those words.”

“Interesting how words work.” Kakashi drums his fingers on the table in thought. “The amount of times I’ve repeated the exact words of those I’ve lost is too many to count. They became powerful to me because it was others who said them, but in the end they’re just words. You give them the power.” Sasuke rests back on his heels, his fingers pulling at the fabric covering his thighs. 

“If they’re just words.” He speaks through clenched teeth. “Then why can’t I say them?” When his eyes meet Kakashi’s, he cannot control his expression nor maintain his calm façade. All he sees is his own reflection staring back at him through those cold, grey irises. 

“Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never said those words to anyone before?” Kakashi holds the cup with both hands, leaning forward. “Looking back on it now, there are plenty of times I could have. Wether I actually meant them or not, well, that’s the trouble, right?

“The third member of my team was a girl named Rin. She was pure sunshine with a heart of gold. Obito was smitten with her, of course, but unfortunately for all three of us, she had very strong feelings for me. I didn’t exactly return the sentiment.” Sasuke thinks of the smiling face of the girl in between Obito and Kakashi in the team portrait, and then of Sakura and her own childhood crush. 

“When Obito was lost to us, I felt it my duty to replace him in her life. What was once a bright young woman with great potential as a doctor had been reduced to a shell of her former self. She needed the love that Obito wanted to give to her, and I decided that I could provide it. For a while I told myself I could love Rin the way she wanted me to if I just tried really hard. But no matter what, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the things she wanted to hear. In the back of my mind I knew that lying to her was far worse than lying to myself. She didn’t deserve that.”

Kakashi pauses before standing up and heading towards the kitchen. Sasuke hears him rustling around some drawers before he returns with what appears to be a bottle of sake. He sits back down, cross legged, and pours some into his tea before glancing at Sasuke and hovering the bottle above the other’s cup; he receives a grunt in response and fills it up. Tossing his drink back and pouring himself another, he continues. 

“What I’m trying to get across here is that words only really hold meaning if you put them there, and what they mean is up to you. Despite telling myself I could tell Rin I loved her without meaning it, in the end I faltered. Looking back on it now, I wish I had told her that I loved her, that she got to hear those words from someone she loved before she died. And you know what? I did love her, just not in the way she wanted me to. But since I assigned so much meaning to the phrase, I now live with these regrets.” He finishes his drink. 

“Maybe when Naruto told you he loved you, it triggered something in you that you didn’t want to be brought up. But if you really think about it, the only thing the instances have in common is the words. There’s different kinds of love, and we’re all capable of experiencing and expressing them.”

Sasuke lifts the cup to his lips and drinks, feeling the burn of the sake down his throat. Kakashi is right. He was the one who assigned so much meaning to the words. Naruto even told him he didn’t mind not hearing it back, but Sasuke insisted he did. How could he have been so stupid?

“Well, I’d hate to kick you out when you’re feeling like this.” Kakashi stands up and walks towards the door. “But I’m kicking you out. I need sleep and I know that Obito is going to wake me up in a few hours when he returns from collecting intel.” Sasuke gets up and steadies himself, his mind now buzzing with thoughts of his mistakes. He slowly makes his way to the door as Kakashi opens it for him, pulling on his jacket and shoes. 

“Thank you, Kakashi.” He steps outside but glances back to make eye contact once more. His former teacher’s eyes look different now, almost red around the rims. “I have a lot to think about.”

“Well, feel free to come to me whenever.” Kakashi smiles but the corners don’t reach his eyes. “Except for the middle of the night.”

“Right.” Sasuke returns the fake smile before the door is closed in his face. He walks along the streets of Konoha, the rain still pouring down and creating a blur to his surroundings. A slight movement in the corner of his eye catches his attention, and he turns, the sharingan spinning. The figure of Obito appears as if from thin air, his image distorted slightly. Sasuke stops and waits for him to catch up. 

“Sasuke.” Obito’s deep, raspy voice comes out from underneath his mask. “We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL here we go. Writing from Sauce-kay's POV was...a challenge, but also strangely familiar to characters i've written before. I just love boys who bottle up their feelings!!!! If I had to put the boys on that "reaction to someone telling said character they love them" meme, Kakashi would be "You really shouldn't," Sasuke, of course, is "Thank You," Nart is "I love you too," and Obito is *warps away*  
As always, any and all feedback appreciated, thanks to everyone who's commented and bookmarked and kudos'ed and read so far
> 
> As a warning, expect Mature content in the next chapter


	3. Obito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obito is a peeping tom, the last of the Uchihas continue their journey, the pot boils over, and a homecoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is kakayama in the beginning section of the chapter, if you're not into that, you won't miss much by skipping it.
> 
> Hello friends, sorry this took so long, I got a new job and have been kind of creatively stumped? Which sucks because I had most of this chapter written before Sasuke's, lol. Anyway, enjoy! Also, uh soft core smut ahead!  

> 
> I listened to Obito&Kakashi's theme while writing parts of this. God that is just the best and most heart wrenching song. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's called "I have seen too much"/"kakashi to obito" (different versions, imo the kkob one is better)

Sometimes, Kakashi’s life was interesting. He would have a particularly good battle with a strong opponent, displaying his prowess in combat, or his team of young shinobi would tangle him into some half baked scheme only someone as young and innocent as them could dream up. Obito enjoyed watching these scenes unfold from the shadows, able to peer into the life he could have had if not for Kannabi bridge.

This night, Kakashi was out for dinner with his fellow jounin captain and former ANBU subordinate, Yamato. Perched up high on a telegraph pole, black cloak blending with the dark, cloudy sky, Obito observed his former comrade play pretend. He went through all the right steps: pleasant conversation about current topics, appearing interested in his friend’s troubles, suggesting food from the menu and laying on the charm when the bill came. To anyone else, it would have seemed like a normal outing between two friends, but to Obito, he knew it was all a mask. He knew that as soon as the two would part, Kakashi’s disposition would alter completely, retreating into the comfort of his home and dark reaches of his mind.

Obito had watched countless nights as Kakashi would sit on the floor of his shower, letting the water run over him in complete silence, gripping his knees to his chest and staring blankly at the wall, or kneel in front of their old team portrait for hours, speaking meaningless words to people who could no longer hear him (at least, as far as he knew). But this night was different; after “gently” persuading Yamato into paying for the meal, he invited him back to his house for some coffee. 

Obito had watched the scenes of many people’s lives unfold before him throughout the years, but there was something different about this situation. As he waited, perched on a tree outside of Kakashi’s apartment window, he wondered whether or not it was worth it to continue his spying. The door opened, Kakashi entering his home, followed by Yamato, taking Obito out of his thoughts. 

“You’re right, there is definitely a familial resemblance.” Yamato continues whatever conversation they were having outside. 

“Once you see it, it’s all you can focus on.” Both men sound like they’ve been drinking, and Obito rolls his eyes when they slightly fumble at removing their shoes and jackets. Kakashi turns the lights on and steps behind a wall, out of Obito’s site. Yamato takes this time to remove his hitai-ate and survey his surroundings.

“You don’t change anything in your apartment, do you?” He has his hands on his hips with one eyebrow raised and Obito can’t help but be reminded of a certain kunoichi’s “disappointed parent” face. It made his heart hurt. 

“Ma, why change anything when everything’s already perfect?” He hears Kakashi’s voice from around the corner of the studio apartment. “Could you come help me out a moment?”

Yamato sighs and disappears into the kitchen area, leaving Obito with a view of an empty room. He’s right, Kakashi really hadn’t changed anything at all; everything is the same as Obito remembers, including the bed cover. The only new addition is a small plant on the window sill Obito knows Kakashi tends to lovingly. Suddenly, a muffled sound draws his attention. 

“So it was all just a ruse.”

“Maybe.”

“Kakashi.” His name is said like he was dog who’s just knocked over a vase. Obito is curious as to what has happened; this isn’t what’s in the usual script. 

“Tenzou.”

“I’m getting too old for this.”

“Yet somehow I’m not.” There’s another pause in the conversation and the sound of two bodies shuffling slightly in an otherwise dead silent room.

“...You owe me a coffee.”

“Mmm.” Now he can hear short, shallow breaths in between long pauses, and the faintest of sighs. 

“Kakashi…” This time it’s in a tone Obito can’t identify. Yamato reappears around the corner, his clothing slightly disheveled and his cheeks flushed red. Kakashi follows and for a second, Obito doesn’t notice anything different, until he does: he’s not wearing his mask. Despite the many days spent by his side as children, and the many hours spent watching him from the darkness, he’d never removed his mask before. He even wore one in the shower. As kids, it had become a kind of legend amongst the academy students. What did he look like under the mask? And now, Obito could finally see his face in its entirety, and shit, of course he’s perfect. Save for a tiny beauty mark beneath his lip, there isn’t a single wrinkle or mark upon the high cheekbones, long aristocratic nose, or his gentle pout. _Rin would be squealing right now,_ a voice at the back of his mind unhelpfully chimes in. Obito touches his own face, the feeling of his scarred, ruined skin under his fingertips, and curses under his breath.

He watches as Kakashi pulls his shirt up over his head, tossing it to the side, and grabs Yamato by the fabric of his sweater, slotting their mouths together. Obito’s eyes follow the path of Yamato’s hands as they hungrily trace down his flat stomach and bony hips, sliding around his back to grab at Kakashi’s backside. He feels his face flush for what feels like the first time since he was a teenager. The surge of new information is too much for Obito; his beautiful face without the mask and now his...sexual preferences? He thinks back to Kakashi’s nonchalant refusal of Rin’s affections and suddenly everything is clear.

Yamato’s own top is removed and belts are unbuckled as the pair maneuver their way to the bed. Kakashi shoves Yamato down onto the mattress and drops to his knees, pulling the other’s pants down and off. From where he is perched, Obito has a clear view as his former rival puts another man’s cock in his mouth. Suddenly, he feels like a kid again, watching something he shouldn’t be; a peeping tom. But the sounds Kakashi makes as he makes use of his mouth and tongue make Obito’s cheeks burn and a shock of heat pulse through him. Never could he have imagined the man in this position, let alone how _good_ he looked doing it. 

“Aah senpai-” Yamato moans before covering his face in embarrassment. Kakashi pulls off with a wet pop and looms over him, grinning, his arms on either side of his head. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” He chuckles, grabbing Yamato’s wrists and pinning them above his head.

“Shut up.”

“What did you just call me?”

“I hate you.”

“I don’t know I think it was kinda hot.”

“You are the worst.”

Obito continues to watch, his heart beating quicker as the rest of Kakashi’s clothes are removed and eager hands roam over his pale white skin. He feels like he’s on fire now, his position on the tree branch quickly becoming uncomfortable. 

“Are you kidding me Kakashi, you’re already good to go? What if I’d said no?”

“Then I would have done the job myself. You know what I keep under my bed.” Obito tries not to think of that scenario lest he completely blow his cover. “Besides, why would you say no?” He hears a frustrated sigh from Yamato and thinks about the implications. How could someone like Kakashi manipulate people like that? Use them? The boy he knew was so blunt and rude he couldn’t charm the pants off a prostitute, but here he was, twisting the other man’s obvious feelings for him into a tool for his own pleasure. 

A loud moan from Kakashi shakes Obito to his core, and as he watches Yamato’s hands desperately grasp the rolling bony hips above him, he can’t help but imagine they are his own. 

. . .

He definitely didn’t expect to see Sasuke walking out of his place of residence at this time of night, but Obito soon decides to take advantage. Following him until he was a safe enough distance away from the main street, he cuts short the distance between them using kamui. Obito supposes he could have been a little less dramatic, what with the randomly appearing in front of him and demanding they “need to talk,” but it gets Sasuke to follow him into the kamui dimension. 

Surrounded by the grey, featureless walls and cubic shapes that make up this plane, Sasuke almost sticks out in all black; a silhouette. 

“Any particular reason you needed to bring me in here?” He stands perfectly still, his face blank. Obito removes his mask and tucks it away under his cloak. 

“Konoha has eyes and ears everywhere,” He states simply. “And I wouldn’t want them misinterpreting what I’m about to propose.”

“You’re not trying to take over the world again, right?” Sasuke jokes to be sarcastic, but it makes Obito smile slightly anyway. 

“Nothing like that, no.” He fixes his hair and yawns. “I want to leave Konoha, and I think you should join me.” 

“Oh so you’re just organizing a jailbreak.”

“Must you automatically assume my intentions are malicious?” Obito sighs. Sasuke’s eyes bore into his own as if searching for something. 

“Knowing you? Yes.”

“Have a little faith, Sasuke.” He clasps his hands behind his back and turns around, looking out into the void. “My plans are to benefit the greater good, I promise.”

“Tch, that’s what you said last time.” Obito frowns and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. 

“I don’t think I’m doing enough here.” He begins, pacing slightly along the smooth ground. “I also believe my presence in Konoha to be...disturbing to some.”

“Get to the point.” He can tell Sasuke is running out of patience. It’s understandable, considering their previous conversations before the war and their outcomes. It was so much easier to speak to him as Madara, but now, as Obito, he feels his confidence drain. 

“I think it would be more beneficial to everyone if we left to do good outside the village.” He stops pacing to turn to Sasuke, taking in his stoic expression and watching for any changes. “It gets us out of everyone’s hair and also allows us to make reparations elsewhere. I’m sure there are plenty of places outside of the Hidden Leaf that have their fair share of troubles post war.”

“Fair enough.” Sasuke’s face softens slightly. “It’s not like I’m doing much around here anyway, besides training. So what do you propose we do? Who do we tell?”

“That’s the thing.” Obito meet’s Sasuke’s gaze. “I want the others to believe it’s your idea.”

“What? Why?”

“Simply put, they trust you more. Sure, you may have been a traitor to Konoha, but you were always honest in your intentions. Myself, on the other hand…”

“Yeah don’t remind me.” Sasuke’s frown deepens. “But I guess I understand, in a way. I’ll talk to Naruto about it.”

“Good, good.” Obito crosses his arms casually, scratching at his synthetic skin through his robes. “He’s a good place to start. I’m sure he trusts you to relay any and all information to him. You can ask for permission from Kakashi too but remember, don’t mention me.”

“You would hide it from him?”

“Kakashi doesn’t know we’ve been talking at all and I’d like to keep it that way.” Obito clutches at his sleeves, his brow furrowed. Sasuke rolls his eyes.

“You have no self awareness, do you?” Obito glares at him before placing a hand on his shoulder and activating his sharingan, sending them both back into Konoha. The two share a look for a moment before each turning towards their respective homes.

“I’ll contact you when I’m ready to reveal my part.” He slips his mask back on and begins to walk away, his shape becoming blurred by the rain before disappearing. 

. . .

“All I ever wanted was for you to acknowledge your emotions.” Obito was close enough now to Kakashi to feel his nervous breaths through his mask. “For you to acknowledge me.”

He reaches for the mask, pulling the fabric down slowly, revealing the beautiful features that haunt his dreams and taking in the flushed cheeks and dilated pupils. 

“What do you want, Kakashi?” The question hangs in the air for a moment before Obito is pulled towards Kakashi and caught in a searing kiss. It suddenly occurs to him that he has never been kissed before by anyone. He is receiving his first kiss at the age of thirty-four, by none other than Hatake Kakashi; the thought makes him smile against the other man’s lips. The urgency of the moment lessens and Kakashi’s motions become gentler, pressing soft, lingering kisses against his mouth, cradling his face in his hands. When they part, Kakashi’s hands leave his face and drop to his sides and Obito can swear he feels the burning marks left behind. 

“To be honest I just wanted to provoke you.” He can’t help but let out a nervous chuckle. “Thought you would hit me, or something. Scream at me about how you don’t want me to leave. I didn’t know you were going to kiss me.” Kakashi rolls his eyes and backs up slightly.

“And you call me the idiot.” He starts to turn but Obito grabs his shoulders and forces him still. 

“Hey, how was I supposed to know?”

“Obito I’ve been in love with you since I was 5.” The look in Kakashi’s eyes says that he’s dead serious, and Obito freezes. 

“With me?”

“How can you be so-” Kakashi yanks him into another kiss by the fabric of his robes and Obito stumbles forward slightly before steadying himself with his body pressed against the other. His mouth feels so good moving against his own, soft and warm, and he can feel Kakashi’s shortened breaths against his face whenever he breaks for air. 

“I mean, now that I know that, a lot of things are making sense.” He manages to get out each string of words between Kakashi’s relentless assault on his mouth. Suddenly, the warmth is gone, and he’s staring at Kakashi’s bright red face.

“Now I can see you’ve always been into older men.”

“What?” The hands clutching the fabric at his chest tighten their grip.

“I mean, me...Sensei-”

“Shut up!” Kakashi pushes him back slightly and Obito laughs, closing the space between them again.

“It’s ironic really because I think his kid has a big crush on y-” Before he can finish, he is shoved backwards against the nearest wall and Kakashi is pinning him with his body, his lips at his ear. 

“You talk too much.” He whispers in a low tone that sends shivers down Obito’s spine, before he begins to move down towards his neck, his lips dragging along the skin as he breathes against him. 

“Cripes, Hatake, you gotta warn a guy before yo-_aah_.” Obito lets out a yelp as he feels (surprisingly sharp) teeth sinking into his flesh. “Before you do something like that.”

“Tell me to stop and I will.” Kakashi murmurs into his skin, his hands finding the others and lacing their fingers together before pinning them above Obito’s head. 

“Are you-_aah_-trying to get a rise out of me?” 

“As if I’d do something like that, I’m not you.” Obito can almost feel the smug smile against his neck. He pushes back against the arms restraining him and twists them, turning Kakas

hi around and pressing him against the wall, holding his forearms behind his back. 

“Is this what you want?” He speaks roughly, pushing harder against him. Kakashi looks back with half-lidded eyes, his mouth kiss-swollen and cheeks flushed, and licks his lips. Shit, Obito has never been more turned on in his life.

“What do _you_ want, Obito?” The way he says it, the complete control he has over the situation despite his position, Obito almost feels as if Kakashi had planned their argument. He thinks of the pieces of conversation he heard during the other man’s tryst with the Hashirama clone; the way he could turn the tides in his favor so easily. Before it had seemed so manipulative, but now, like this, it couldn’t make Obito want him more if he tried. He feels Kakashi push back against him and realizes he’s hard. 

“I want...I want to fuck you. Please.” He’s never said anything like that before, and he hopes he doesn’t sound desperate but the pressure on his groin is clouding his mind. Kakashi leans back, resting his head against Obito’s shoulder, looking up at him with dark eyes. 

“Well, since you did say please.” He cranes his head up to catch the other in a kiss, this time Obito feels a tongue slide across his bottom lip and he shudders. If asked, he could describe hundreds of ways to kill a man, torture him, destroy him, but here, he was completely at a loss for words. He allows Kakashi to free himself from restraint and push him towards the bed in the corner of the room, a drop of sweat sliding down his forehead, until the backs of his knees hit the mattress and Obito finds himself on his back with his childhood rival pushing his legs apart and kneeling between them. 

“Can I suck you off first?” Kakashi reaches for the belt of his robe but pauses until he sees Obito nod his head and mumble an affirmative. Opening his robe, he slides his hands across Obito’s taut, scarred stomach before pulling at his waistband, tugging his pants down and his briefs with them. 

“Oh.” Obito hears the gasp and a low whistle and props himself up on his elbows to get a proper view. 

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing it’s just...I guess I can confirm that certain Uchiha rumor is true.” Obito feels himself blush all the way down to his chest like he’s a teenager again. Kakashi just laughs and nips at his inner thigh before he starts.

Obito would be lying to claim he hadn’t touched himself to the thought of the other man in this exact position, lips stretched around him, a hungry look in his eyes, but no amount of imagination could compare to reality. He starts to wonder just how Kakashi is so good at this, but soon finds himself unable to think of anything other than the wet heat of his friend’s mouth. 

“Shit, Kakashi.” Obito pants, knotting one hand in the silver hair and trying to keep himself balanced with the other. In response, he suddenly feels Kakashi’s nose touching his pubic hair as he takes him in his entirety and everything is too much, too tight, too good, and without time to warn his partner, he’s coming hard and fast, his eyes squeezing shut. When he opens them again, Kakashi is hovering above him, wiping his mouth and smiling.

“You good, Uchiha?” Obito wants to wipe that smug grin off his face as he feels his cheeks go bright red, throwing his arm over his own face in an attempt to hide and seriously considering activating Kamui.

“Sorry.” He mumbles as Kakashi begins to press kisses down his bare torso. “I’ve never...no one’s ever…”

“To be honest I’m not surprised.” Kakashi pulls his own shirt off and leans over him, pressing their bodies together. “Wouldn’t think you had much time for _extracurricular_ activities.” He punctuates the words with a bite on Obito’s collarbone, his right hand sliding over his pec. Suddenly, laid bare beneath another person in this way, Obito feels self conscious for the first time since he’d returned to Konoha. Sure, Kakashi had his fair share of scars on his ghostly white skin, some of which Obito had given him even, but they paled in comparison to the warped flesh and artificial tissue that made up most of his own body. 

“Are you okay?” Kakashi sits back on his heels, straddling the other man’s thighs. “To be honest, the whole dead fish act isn’t a good look on you.”

“Hmm?” Obito is pulled out of his thoughts and looks up, taking in the view for the first time. Kakashi looks almost heavenly like this, his hair tousled, a slight flush to his complexion, his eyes darkened with lust. He realizes he hasn’t even touched him yet. Slowly and carefully, he skims his fingers lightly across Kakashi’s hips and stomach, delighting in the reactionary breaths and goosebumps forming on the skin. He traces the x-shaped scar made by his own blades across the chest and slides upwards towards the milky pale neck, wrapping his hand around it. Pressing down on either side elicits a gasp as the airflow is restricted, and the hips above him stutter. 

“Such a masochist.” Obito murmurs and squeezes tighter, as Kakashi closes his eyes and tips his head back. He releases the pressure and cups his face instead, his thumb stroking over pink lips. 

“You can’t imagine how hard it is to get a man to choke you out these days.” Kakashi rolls his eyes and takes Obito’s hand in his own, removing it from his face and placing it on his hip. “It’s all ‘I don’t want to hurt you Kakashi’ or ‘This is an unhealthy coping mechanism Kakashi.’” 

“Maybe they haven’t spent enough time with you.” Obito smirks, grabbing the bony hips with both hands, hard enough to leave bruises. “I want to hurt you constantly.” 

“Very humorous.” Comes the response, but he can hear the slight hitch in the other’s voice as he says it. Kakashi leans over, his hands on either side of Obito’s head as he kisses his jawline. “Now are we going to exchange more witty quips, or are you going to fuck me?”

Obito’s face goes bright red and despite having spent himself only a few minutes ago, he feels his body respond, and apparently, so does Kakashi, because he rolls his hips slightly, chuckling lightly as the other’s grip becomes even tighter. He catches Obito in a kiss before sitting back up and removing his own pants. 

“What do I...do?” Obito feels himself somehow turn redder, but Kakashi doesn’t seem to mind. He rolls them over so that Obito is on top of him and reaches for his bedside drawer. 

“Let me teach you.”

. . .

Kakashi is a very good teacher, showing Obito how to use his fingers and tongue to open him up and turn him into a trembling, panting mess beneath him. He never thought he’d see Kakashi Hatake like this, so debauched. When they’re finally joined, Obito can feel a strange sinking sensation in his stomach over the intense thrums of pleasure. Being this close with someone, this intimate, is something he hadn’t even imagined could happen until recently. He presses their foreheads together, their sweat-slicked bodies moving together rhythmically as the other man clutches his shoulders tightly, his nails digging into the skin, legs wrapped around his waist. 

“Obito.” Kakashi breathes, and hearing him say his name in that tone sends a shock of electricity down Obito’s torso. He buries his face into Kakashi’s neck, feeling his eyes burn as tears well in them. 

“S-say it again.” It sounds so nice in his voice in between the whimpers, he can’t help but be greedy. 

“_Obito_” Kakashi moans, one hand entangling itself in his hair. He knows this won’t last, that he still has to leave, for everyone’s sake. He will become Nobody again. But for now, for just a moment, he is Obito Uchiha and he is loved. 

. . .

Sasuke isn’t much of a talker, so their time journeying together gives Obito plenty of time to think. Mostly he day dreams, about the past and “what if” scenarios, about battles fought long ago and witty responses to arguments long passed. He finds most of his happiness in his dreams, remembering what his Eternal Tsukoyomi would have been before and how much it had changed, though he remembers the Zetsu poking fun at him for calling out Kakashi’s name in his sleep. Before, he would have stayed 13 forever. Now he dreams of simpler things: sloppy morning sex with Kakashi, seeing Rin get married and have kids, coming home to a freshly made meal, taking a hot bath on a rainy day, watching the younger generations grow up and fall in love, adopting a cat.

“What do you think about cats?” This stops Sasuke in his tracks. They are making their way through the Land of Water, on their way to an abandoned village said to be the base of bandits preying on the unstable post war state of the world. 

“What?” Sasuke gives him an incredulous look. 

“Cats. What do you think about them?” Obito shrugs. “I know our clan has an interesting relationship with them. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of dogs.”

“_Obviously_.” Sasuke mutters under his breath. “Y’know, sometimes I think the more you return to being ‘Obito Uchiha,’ the more brain cells you lose.”

“And the more you talk, the more annoying you become.” Obito chuckles when Sasuke frowns. Unlike when he was a kid, he has the confidence to at least snap back at the snarky smart ass. Sometimes Sasuke reminds him of a young Kakashi so much it hurts. He wonders if Kakashi felt the same about Naruto. 

It had been over a year since the pair had left Konoha, and despite all of the good they had done, all of the lives they had saved, Obito still felt empty. He remembers telling Kakashi of the hole in his heart when they fought in Kamui, reassuring him that he felt nothing, trying to make him accept the futility of this fight and join him in his dreams. Deep down, he knew what he was missing; it’s how Naruto finally broke through past all of Madara’s conditioning. And now, despite that knowledge, he was consciously seeking ways to temporarily soothe his pain once more, this time with philanthropy rather than destruction. It was all there, all he had to do was take it. 

“This will be my last mission, at least for a while.” Obito declares suddenly. Once again, Sasuke stops, this time holding Obito back by his arm. The look in his eyes is judgemental, searching for something. 

“What are you planning?”

“I’m tired, Sasuke.” Obito looks out along the dirt road into the horizon. “I don’t want to run anymore.” 

“So you make this big plan to leave the village and help the world, rope me into it, and now you’re abandoning it?”

“Pretty much.” Sasuke makes a noise of frustration and walks ahead of Obito. 

“I think I liked you better when you were trying to kill us.” He mutters, just loud enough that the other can hear him. “Just...don’t expect me to come with you this time.”

“This is not an invitation.” Obito catches up to his cousin, kicking up clouds of dust behind him. “I’m only returning for personal reasons.”

“I can hazard a guess.” 

“You’ve always been very perceptive.”

. . .

It is still dark out when Obito quietly leaves Kakashi’s bed, pulling on his robes. Kakashi is lying on his stomach, his hands above his head tucked under his pillow, sheets tossed to the end of the bed and the light from the moon illuminating his pale bare skin. Obito can’t help but pause in the doorway to watch the shadows of the leaves dance across his back as the night breeze moves through the trees by the window. The very same trees he once perched on, watching Kakashi from the view of an outsider. But now, he knows he has to leave. He was never meant to live in happiness and domesticity, he’s an Uchiha. 

“So this is it then.” Obito should have known Kakashi wasn’t really asleep; he’s a shinobi after all. The two men stand there in relative silence, never breaking eye contact, Kakashi now sitting up straight in bed, back against the wall. 

“This is it.” 

“I’m just a one night stand, then.” Kakashi jokes, but neither of them laugh. Obito wants to run across the room, take his face in his hands and kiss him until they both fall asleep again. But there is a black pit in his chest that refuses to be filled, a reminder of all the things he’s done to harm this world. 

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.” Kakashi looks towards the window with a pensive stare, and he’s never looked more beautiful. Obito’s sharingan swirls and commits it to memory. “We were supposed to be friends. You were going to be Hokage while I stood at your side as an advisor. Rin would have been a doctor. We’d go out for drinks weekly and reminisce about all the missions we undertook and how we’d all survived. Naruto would have had a proper mentor.”

“Kakashi-”

“You would have succeeded where I have failed.”

“_Kakashi_.” Obito clenches his fist. “We cannot afford to dwell on what ‘should’ have happened. It happened.”

“You were right when you called this world a nightmare.” Kakashi’s eyes bore into his, sending a chill down Obito’s spine. Something dark flashes behind them, before his facial expression softens and he runs a hand through his hair. “You asked if I’d miss you, and I like to think this goes without saying now but...I will miss you.” Obito’s mouth turns up slightly into a small smile. 

“I’ll miss you too Bakakashi.” He says quietly before leaving, shutting the door behind him. 

. . .

For a man who has fought against an entire army and godlike beings, Obito has never been more afraid than here, standing in front of Kakashi Hatake’s door. Konoha looks more or less the same, though it has grown slightly in the year since he’s seen it. There are people milling about the streets, children playing, friends and aquaintances playing catch up, and no one seems to notice the dark, looming figure of Obito Uchiha on the Hokage’s porch. He knocks twice, his hands shaking. 

A minute passes, and Obito weighs his options between knocking again and leaving, abandoning this fantasy he’s dreamt up. He is leaning towards the latter, when the door opens. The man in the doorway looks surprised, but mostly tired.

“What are you doing here?” Their eyes meet and Obito can feel his heart thud against his chest.

“I’m here for the wedding.” He attempts to give a sly smile but for all he knows, he could look as if he’d had a stroke. Kakashi raises his eyebrows and leans against the door frame. 

“I’m pretty sure you weren’t invited.” He crosses his arms, giving Obito a once over. “You did kill the bride’s cousin.”

“You’re right, I wasn’t.”

They stand like that for a moment, taking the sight of each other in, before Kakashi steps backward, making a beckoning hand motion.

“Welcome back.” Is what he says, but to Obito, he might as well have said, “_Welcome Home_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dancing on the line between mature and explicit sure is fun!  
did you know that some english translations translate "bakakashi/bakashi" to "kakashidiot"  
Anyway, thank you to everyone that's read/kudos'ed/bookmarked/commented, it really does mean a lot to me. Idk why i've put so much work into this but i have so!!!  
Next chapter might take a while but it will come out i promise

**Author's Note:**

> Hey whatsup  
I was inspired by a lil comic by kevinkevinson on tumblr (https://kevinkevinson.tumblr.com/post/184932787470/he-said-what-he-said-okay-hear-me-out-obitos)  
Uh idk how often this will update bc I want the chapters to be long but like...last fic I wrote has 3 year interval updates lol (it'll be better than that i promise)  
Each chapter will be a different character's POV. So if things seem like they're missing, it's bc they are lol  
Rating /will/ go up by chapter 3  
As always, comments/kudos/etc appreciated  
My twitter is octopizzy, come talk to me about how I'm writing Naruto fan fic in 2019, like 12 years after I first saw an episode


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